Display post supports



1959 E. c. MERGE'NTHALER 2,895,696

I DISPLAY POST SUPPORTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm April 1. 1955 W v 25INVENTOR 1573 2 flu/era C Mergcmlm/er ATTORNEY y 1959 E. c. MERGENTHALER2,895,696

DISPLAY POST SUPPCRTS Filed April 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 43' l i 25I l 4.4 i

l I I :74 20 50 I 54 r I F F 6 I 43 faward CMergen/ba/er ATTORNEYINVENTOR United States Patent O" 2,895,696 DISPLAY Posr SUPPORTS EdwardC. Mergenthaler, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Waldorf Paper ProductsCompany, St. Paul, Minrn, a corporation of Minnesota Application April1, 1955, Serial No. 498,619 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-158) This inventionrelates to an improvement in display post supports, particularly with ameans of supporting a post in an upright position. In displays and suchstructures usually made of paper board, corrugated paper board andsimilar materials, it is often necessary to provide a post supported inan upright position, which in turn normally supports a poster or otheradvertising piece. These posts are often difiicult to support in anupright position through the use of a paper board base. In manyinstances a box-like structure is provided at the base of the post inorder to support the same. In the present structure the post issupported by a fiat base mem-' 'ber upon which merchandisemay be piled,if desired.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a postsupport which is preferably constructed of a single sheet of paperboard. The post support includes an upwardly projecting stub which issecurely held at right angles to the base sheet, and over which a hollowrectangular post may be inserted. By this means the hollow post may bereadily supported in an upright position and will resist the tipping'ofthe post until the center of gravity of the post is beyond the peripheryof the base.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the provision of apost support which includes two base forming portions having portionstherebetween and foldably connected thereto, which are designed toextend upright from the base. The two parts which form the upwardlyprojecting stub are interlocked together so as to remain in rightangular relation with the base when the structure is assembled.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be moreclearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure l is a perspective view of an upright post mounted upon the postsupport.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the post supportis formed.

Figure 3 shows the post support after its first folding operation.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the post support after it has beenpartially folded.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing the post supportcompletely folded.

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the erected post support.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the blank of which the post may beformed.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view through the folded post.

The post support is constructed as is best illustrated in Figure 2 ofthe drawings. The support includes a base portion 10 which is foldablyconnected along a fold line 11 to a portion indicated in general by thenumeral 12. A second standard portion, section 13, is foldably connectedalong a fold line 14 to the section 12. A second U base section 15 isfoldably 2,895,696 Patented July 21, 1959 connected to the standardsection 13 along a fold line 16. I

Each of the standard sections 12 and 13 are similar but are reverselyformed. The section 12 includes an inner partition wall 17 foldablyconnected along a fold line 19 to a side wall section 20. The section 20is foldably connected along the fold line 22 to wall panel 23. The panel23 is foldably connected along a fold line 24 to a sidewall panel 25. Alocking tab 26 is foldably connected to the free edge of panel along afold line, 27.

A slot 29 is formed in the panel 17 adjoining the fold line 19 foraccommodation of a locking tongue, as will be later described. The freeedge of the panel 17 is notched, as indicated at 30, to accommodateanother locking tongue, as will be later'described.

The fold lines 19, 22, 24 and 27 are preferably parallel and at rightangles to the fold line 11 connecting the panel 17 to the base portion10. It will be noted that a section 12 is connected to the base onlyalong an edge of the panel 17 and connected to section 13 only along theopposite edge of the panel 17.

Section 13 of the structure includes a wall panel 31, a side wall panel32, a wall panel 33 and a side wall panel 34', all connected alongparallel fold lines 35, 36 and 37.

' A tab 39 is foldably connected to the side wall panel 34 along a foldline 40. A slot 41 is provided in the panel 31 adjoining the fold lineto accommodate a locking tabor tongue. A notch 42 is provided in thefree edge of the fold panel 31 for a purpose which will be laterdescribed. a

In erecting the'post support, the structure is: folded along the centerfold. line 14 so that the opposite sides of the structure are insubstantially parallel relation and the wall panels 17 and 31 are insubstantial surface: contact. The base panels 10 and 15 are thenfolded'out wardly'into a common plane and the structure appears asillustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, with the standard sectionsprojecting upwardly at substantially right angles to the base. p 1 1 Thetwo sections are then folded into tubular relation. For example, thewall panel 20 is folded at right anglesto; the panel 17 so as to extendover the opposite base panel 15. The wall panel 23 is folded intoparallel rela tion with the panel 17 and the panel 25 is folded intosubstantially parallel relation with the side wall 20. The locking tabor tongue 26 is inserted through the slot 41 and the aligned notch 30 toproject at substantially right angles with the center partition panels17 and 31. When thus folded, the structure appears as indicated inFigure 4 of the drawings.

The opposite section 13 is next folded. This is accomplished by foldingthe panel 32 at right angles to the panel 31 to extend over the basepanel 10. The wall panel 33 is folded into right angular relation withthe panel 32 and the wall panel 34 is folded into right angular relationwith the fold panel 33. The locking tab 39 is inserted through the slot29 of the panel 17 and through the aligned notch 42 of the wall panel31. The standard portion of the device is thus erected and the postsupport appears as indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings. Thearrangement of the locking tabs is best indicated in Figure 6 of thedrawings.

It will be seen that the tubular standard portion formed by the standardsection 12 encircles the partition wall 31 and extends over the basepanel 15, looking the parts intimately together. In a similar fashionthe tubular standard portion formed by section 13 overlies the basepanel 10 and encircles the wall panel 17, thus providing an interlockingarrangement which firmly supports the standard in an upright position.

The support is used in conjunction with any hollow properly proportionedto fit within the lower end of the post. 43 is generally rectangular .incross section so that the sides of 1 the tubular sections .areapproximately one-half the width of the remaining panel's; ;Obviously;this. may bewaried with other shapes of posts.

The post 43 which is typical of.the construction which may be employedincludesfivepanels; 44, 45, 46,417 and 49,:which are connected alongparallel iold .lines 50, 51, 52 and. 53, respectively. Lockingctabssuch..as..54 are foldably connected along one edgeof the structure,-such as to the panel 44'and tab accommodatingslots 55 are provided atthe juncture between the panels47. and 49 for accommodating the lockingtabs 54. The postwhen folded and locked appears .asindicatedin' Figurev8. The post is merely telescoped over- .thecsupporting standard.

It will be seen that I: have provided an effective standard which has aflat base and a rectangular standard portion extending upwardlytherefrom intermediate the edges ofthe base. The standard portioncannot'readily flex in any direction, and as a result it effectivelysupports the post.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof construction and operationof my post support, and while Ihaveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof,. I desire tohave it understood that obvious changes .may be made within the scope ofthe following claims, without departing'from the spirit of my invention.

1. claim:

.1. A post support including a series of foursections hingedly connectedalong parallel fold lines, said sections including a pair of endsections comprising the end sections of the series and a pair ofintermediate sections between said end sections, the end sections beingarranged in a substantially common plane in edge abutting relation, theintermediate sections including first panels extending at substantiallyright angles tosaid end sections, said first panels being in surfacecontact, a series of three additional panels foldably connected to eachsaid first panel andfolded to provide a hollow rectangular memberoverlying one of said end sections, said panels 'thus providing two sideby side hollow rectangular tubes overlying said end sections andconnected thereto through said first panels.

tubular post, and the supporting sections B and 13 are In the particulararrangement illustrated, the post 2. The-"structure ofclaim 1 andincluding a--locking tongue on each intermediate section engageable tohold said intermediate sections in tubular relation.

3. A post support including a first base member, a first intermediatesection, a second intermediate section, and a second base memberconnected along parallel fold lines, said intermediate sections eachincluding a first panel extending at rightangles to the base member towhich it is secured and in surface contact with the other first panel,and each intermediate section including three additional panels foldablyconnected to the corresponding first panel along fold lines at rightangles to the first mentioned parallel fold lines, the additional panelsof the firstnintermediate section being folded into hollow rectangularrelation with the first panel of said first intermediate section and"overlying said second base member, and said three additional panels ofsaid second intermediate section being folded into hollow rectangularrelation with the firstpanel of said second intermediate sectionandoverlying. said first basemember.

4. The structure of claim 3 and including locking tongue means on eachseries of three additional panels, each of said intermediate sectionsincluding a locking slot into which a locking .tongue may .extend tohold said intermediate sections in tubular relation.

. 5. The structurexofclaim 3. andLin-which each intermediate section isprovided with a locking slot at the juncture betweensaid first panelsand said three additional panels, andin which, each intermediate sectionincludes a locking tongue. atthe .end of the seriesof three additionalpanels, the locking tongue of one section extending into the lockingslot ofthe other section.

. 6. The structure of. claim 1 and including a hollow rectangular postin telescoping relation to said two side by side tubes and having an endresting upon said base sections.

. References Cited inthefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,142,826 Rosello 'Jan. 3, 1939 2,232,224 Godell Feb. 18, '19412,361,875 Sachs Oct. 31, 1944 2,550,959 Bowman May 1, 1951

